Hi Sarah,

I assume WIS is planning to publish a few books on PM, as the answers to each part of your question could easily fill one

Let me share a few succinct thoughts, which I found very valuable in my projects:

1. Motivate team members:
   - Assume that people are intrinsically motivated, when they join the team (if not, go back to team selection stage), and that your first task as a project manager is not to de-motivate them (e.g. by not giving them the right tools or not allowing them to do quality work) - if you get this right, you'll be above average already.
   - Treat people as individuals. Play to every single person's unique strengths. Forget stereotypes: "Differences between people are far more interesting and powerful than differences between peoples."
2. Open communication:
   -do not discourage talk about risks and issues, e.g. punishing everybody who brings an issue up by tasking him with dealing with it. Team exercises like the thinking head may help
3. Constant communication:
   - create physical closeness. Do not provide too much space.
   - in global projects with virtual teams, bring them physically together before you start phone conferencing, then provide 1st class technology. I love working with the confluence wiki / collaboration space and recommend it to my clients

take care

Sven